Electric-powered griddle-loading mechanism

ABSTRACT

An electrically-powered mechanism for loading doughpieces to a production muffin griddle having a loading station in which trays of doughpieces are manually inserted at a time and in a place which is most conveniently suited to the repetitive natural and effortless arm and body movements of a lone operator giving him the necessary options to make continued high-speed, semiautomatic operation possible without fatigue. The duty cycle is started by insertion of the tray against a switch which generates an electric pulse. This pulse activates a delayed-acting, normally-open switch which controls electric current to a trayupending solenoid which dumps the trays to a receiver assembly below. The receiver assembly is in turn coordinated in space and time with the muffin cups on the moving griddle flight by a normally-closed limit switch which breaks a receiver-upending electric circuit and de-energizes a holding solenoid to upend the receiver cups at the right point in time to dump the doughpieces therefrom to the griddle cups directly therebelow. At the end of each duty cycle, the empty tray stands upright in the loading station ready for the operator to remove the same and insert a new loaded tray therein.

[ Nov, 26, 1974 ELECTRIC-POWERED GRIDDLE-LOADKNG MECHANISM [76] Inventor: Eugene M. Noel, 42 Kingston Rd.,

Newton Highlands, Mass. 02161 [22] Filed: July 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 375,916

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1943 Taylor 214/301 1 1/1963 Jackson .4 2l4/3l4 Primary ExaminerRobert G. Sheridan Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Oresky Attorney, Agent, or FirmCharles W. Rummler; John R. Diver [5 7] ABSTRACT An electrically-powered mechanism for loading doughpieces to a production muffin griddle having a loading station in which trays of doughpieces are manually inserted at a time and in a place which is most conveniently suited to the repetitive natural and effortless arm and body movements of a lone operator giving him the necessary options to make continued high-speed, semi-automatic operation possible without fatigue. The duty cycle is started by insertion of the tray against a switch which generates an electric pulse. This pulse activates a delayed-acting, normally-open switch which controls electric current to a trayupending solenoid which dumps the trays to a receiver assembly below. The receiver assembly is in turn coordinated in space and time with the muffin cups on the moving griddle flight by a normally-closed limit switch which breaks a receiver-upending electric circuit and de-energizes a holding solenoid to upend the receiver cups at the right point in time to dump the doughpieces therefrom to the griddle cups directly therebelow. At the end of each duty cycle, the empty tray stands upright in the loading station ready for the operator to remove the same and insert a new loaded tray therein.

8 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENTEL, HOV 28 I974 SHEET 2 OF 5 PATENTEL HUV 2 61974 SHEET 0F 5 udl PATENTEL KEV 2 61974 SHEET 5 OF 5 ll ELECTRIC-POWERED GRIDDLE-LOADING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The design of semi-automatic process machinery involves the coordination of the physical movements of the operator in time and motion with respect to the dynamic input requirements of the machine.

In the production toasting of English muffins it has been customary for operators to handle proofed doughpieces on a piece-by-piece basis and manually load form cups therewith to a continuously-operating griddle as disclosed in my US. Pat. No. Re24,855. The ultimate in doughpiece handling rate and the machine productivity realizable therefrom for such piece-by-piece work is limited by the number of working hands which can be stationed in a given working area before each machine. Each hand loader in carrying out his job must pick up and place a particular doughpiece in a specific cup at a particular time. Such difficult machine-related job characteristics often confuse the operator and severely limit the productive capacity thereof.

Maximization of the productive capacity of production machinery can be attained by fully automating the loading thereof. However, only in rare cases can fully automatic loading be made directly from a hopper or storage bin to a machine without the aid or help of human hands. More often than not, the physical characteristics of the product are such that it does not lend itself to fully automatic handling, and methods incorporating semi-automatic techniques involving some manual work must be devised. Such is the case in the handling of the wet, tacky, proofed doughpieces which are used in making English muffins.

Where semi-automatic operation offers the best trade-off in the choice between piece-handling and fully-automated feeding, increased productivity can result if additional leverage is given the operator over the hand-loading of individual doughpieces by permitting him to hand-load trays each containing many doughpieces instead of individual doughpieces one at a time. The trays are loaded with doughpieces in advance of the production run in staging areas which are separate from the work area of the griddle. It is possible to apply more hands to the job than can be placed around the limited work area available at the infeed end of the machine. The trays are stored in racks conveniently placed adjacent to the work area of the machine from which the trays are removed one-by-one and inserted in the machine for further processing.

SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTION The gist of this invention lies in a doughpiece feeder which is attached to the infeed end of a continuous process muffin griddlefor semi-automating the operation of feeding doughpieces thereto. The apparatus allows for the storage of proofed doughpieces in trays having a lineal array of spaced cups which are individually piece-loaded in staging areas and stacked in quantity in racks and stored nearby in preparation for a production run.

The trays with their doughpieces are taken oneby-one from the racks by a lone operator and individually inserted in a tray guide which is attached to the muffin feeder in transverse relation to the griddle machine. This establishes the proper spatial relation of the array of the cups in the tray to the introduction of the doughpieces to the griddle machinery below. Mobile racks placed proximate to the feeder within easy arms reach allow the operator quick and convenient accessibility to an adequate supply of trays at all times. Replacement racks are readily available as successive racks are exhausted of their trays of doughpieces.

A tray locating station is provided for holding the tray and its array of cups in proper spatial relation to the griddle machinery below. The tray locating station is pivotally mounted to the feeder frame directly over the receiver assembly. The tray locating station is in horizontal sliding communication with the tray guide when it is in the upright position, and a forward stop slidingly engages the leading edge of the tray and locates it in a fore-and-aft position when inserted therein by the operator. Clevis members laterally disposed at the opposite ends of the station secure the tray in vertical and lateral relation thereon, and single ball spring plungers mounted therein engage small detents in each of the trays and lock the same in place.

A receiver cup assembly is pivotally mounted to the feeder frame directly below the tray loading station and over the moving griddle cups. The receiver cup assem-' bly and its array of cups register in spatial relation with the upended tray cups and the griddle cups as the doughpieces are dumped to the griddle cups in coordination in space and time therewith.

The duty cycle begins with the depression of a normally-open pulse switch by the insertion of a tray thereagainst in the tray locating station. On depressing this switch, a pulse of current acts instantaneously on the contact of a timed relay. The energizing of the coil of said relay by the current pulse is delayed 12 to seconds depending on the delay setting of the relay. When the relay times-out, its contact closes a normallyopen limit switch in a tray locating station upending solenoid circuit. This energizes the tray upending solenoid and the tray is dumped of its doughpieces. When the current pulse runs-out, the timed relay reverts to its normally-open position and the tray upending solenoid is de-energized. The tension spring now uprights the empty tray in the tray guide in readiness for its extraction therefrom and the insertion of a new loaded tray therein.

The invention provides for a bottom solenoidpowered rack-and-pinion drive with tension spring return for upending the receiver cup assembly. The bottom drive acts in response to the opening of a normallyclosed limit switch which is actuated by the passing of a griddle cup in the coordination of the dumping of the doughpieces therefrom in time and space relation into the griddle cups therebelow.

A top solenoid-powered rack-and-pinion drive also with tension spring return upends the tray locating station and the spring returns it. The top drive acts in response to the delayed closing of a normally-open limit switch triggered by the insertion of a tray against a normally-open pulse switch and coordinates the dumping of the individual doughpieces therefrom into the upright receiver cups in the receiver assembly therebelow. The normally-open pulse switch in the top drive electrical circuit is supplied with electrical power through the normally-closed limit switch in the bottom drive electrical circuit 50 that the top drive can be energized and the tray upended only when the normallyclosed limit switch in the bottom drive electrical circuit is in normal position and the receiver assembly is in the upright position ready to receive the doughpieces that are dumped from the upended tray.

After the receiver cups are uprighted by the normalizing of the normally-closed limit switch in the bottom drive electrical circuit, the empty tray returns to its upright position by reason of the de-energizing of the top drive electrical circuit because there is no pulse current to trigger the closing of the normally-open switch in the top drive electrical circuit ready for extraction from the tray locating station.

At the time of the dumping of the tray, the receiver cups are held in the upright position and a spring which inverts the receiver assembly is cocked by a solenoid which is energized by the normally-closed limit switch in the bottom drive electrical circuit. This is done so as to be able to control the speed of inverting. With a moving griddle cup situated below the receiver cup, this normally-closed limit switch is open when its switch arm contacts the griddle cup so that the pulse switch which is series connected therethrough to the power supply is denied a source of electrical power and cannot be effective in sending a pulse current to again close the normally-open limit switch and energize the top drive electrical circuit. Thus the dump of the tray and its doughpieces into the receiver cups cannot take place at the time a griddle cup is situated below an upended receiver cup. Simultaneously, when the solenoid in the tray drive electrical circuit is de-energized, the timer relay allows the empty tray to return to its upright position ready to repeat the duty cycle. Though the empty proofer tray depresses the plunger of the pulse switch when in this position, the dump is not reinitiated because the circuit is broken by the open normallyclosed limit switch in the bottom drive electrical circuit and no current is flowing in any part of the electrical system at that time.

The doughpieces are deposited in the receiving cups from the upended tray cups dry side down against the bottom of the receiver cup. This configuration is desirable from the standpoint of the need for quick and accurate timing of the release of the doughpieces therefrom in the dump of the dough from receiver cup to griddle cup below. Wet, tacky dough sticks to the cup and renders timing of the dump of the dough uncertain and difficult. Dry dough dumps quickly and predictably.

The clevises on the tray loading station are designed so as not to accept the insertion of a proofer tray in the inverted position. Thus the pulse switch cannot be ac-.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the autov mated doughpiece feeder mounted on the infeed end of tacting trip rod for actuating a normally-closed limit switch;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the proofer tray loaded with doughpieces in the cups thereon;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the automated doughpiece feeder mounted on the infeed end of a continuous process griddle showing a left hand fragmentary view of the tensioned spring and sheave for upending the receiver cups and dumping the doughpieces into the griddle cups below, and a right hand fragmentary view of the solenoid drive and rack-andpinion with tension spring return for upending the tray and depositing the doughpieces into the reciever cups below;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end view of the automated doughpiece feeder mounted on the infeed end of a continuous process griddle showing the clevises for holding the trays;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary right side view of the automated doughpiece feeder mounted on the infeed end of a continuous process griddle showing the solenoid drives and rack-and-pinion with tensioned spring returns for the tray and the receiver cup upending and uprighting;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 7--7 of FIG. 5 of the automated doughpiece feeder mounted on the infeed end of a continuous process griddle showing the upright tray with doughpieces engaged in the tray locating station above the upright receiver cups above the griddle cups moving on the griddle below;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary left side view of the automated doughpiece feeder mounted on the infeed end of a continuous process griddle showing the tensioned spring and sheave for assisting in upending the receiver cups and dumping the doughpieces into the griddle cups below;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view along line 7 7 of FIG. 5 of the automated doughpiece feeder showing the upended tray above the receiver cups in contact with the current pulse switch;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view of the infeed end of the continuously operating griddle showing the griddle cup actuated trip rod and n0rmally-closed limit switch; and

FIGS. 11-16 are time and position sequence diagrams of the various switching operations in the electrical circuit'of the automated doughpiece feeder. FIG. 11 shows a loaded tray being hand inserted into the feeder mechanism. FIG. 12 shows a tray closing a normally-open pulse switch for energizing the tray upending circuit. FIG. 13 shows the normally-open timedrelay switch closed and the tray upended after a delay and the doughpiece in the receiver cup. FIG. 14 shows a griddle cup starting to open a normally-closed limit switch for de-energizing the receiver cup uprighting circuit and upending the receiver cups. The normallyopen pulse switch stays closed in this instance by contact with the reverse side of the tray locating station. FIG. 15 shows the griddle cup opening the normally-closed limit switch and thereby opening the normally-open pulse switch circuit so that the tray upending circuit cannot be energized. The receiver cup is upended dumping the doughpiece in the griddle cup. FIG. 16 shows the normally-open pulse switch opened by removal of the empty tray from the feeder mechanism and the normally-closed limit switch closed for deenergizing the receiver cup uprighting circuit and uprighting the receiver cups. The feeder mechanism is now ready for the hand insertion of a new loaded tray.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, particularly FIG. 1, an automated doughpiece feeder MP for attachment to the infeed end of a continuous process griddle MG having a left side LS when viewed from the infeed end of the griddle comprises laterally spaced feeder frame members and 11 adapted to be mounted to the griddle frame 12. A tray guide 30 which is mounted on the input of the feeder MF guides a proofer tray 22 from a mobile rack MR nearby to a tray locating station on the feeder MF where it is manually inserted therein, as shown in FIG. 2. The tray locating station 20 slidably receives the tray 22 from the guide 30. The proofer tray 22 mounts on the locating station 20 and contains doughpieces M in a spaced relation thereon suitable for meeting the vertical, lateral and fore-and-aft infeed requirements of the continuous process griddle MG, as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the proofer tray 22 has a first leg 23, a second leg 23', a top panel 25, a plurality of cups 24 equally spaced in linear relation therein with muffins M thereon, and a leading edge LE and a trailing edge TE.

As shown in FIG. 4, tray guide members 26 and 28 forming the tray guide frame 30 are fixedly mounted on frame members 10 and 11. The tray guides 26 and 28 guide the tray legs 23 and 23' of proofer tray 22, as shown in phantom, in manually sliding thereon. Further sliding thereon places the tray 22 on the tray locating station 20, as shown on the right side of FIG. 4, with the LE thereof in contact with the switch arm 43 of normally-open pulse switch 44 closing the same. Trays 22 are then in position for upending and starting the transfer of the doughpieces to the griddle MG.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, a receiver assembly 62 is pivotally mounted on frame members 10 and 11. A plurality of receiver cups 64 are fixedly mounted on the receiver assembly 62 in an over-and-under relation with the tray cups 24 of the proofer tray 22 ready to receive doughpieces M upon the upending of the tray 22 thereover. Tray 22, as shown, stands ready to be inserted in the tray locating station 20 after tray 22 is removed therefrom. Griddle cups 13, which are moving on griddle MG, pass in an over-and-under relation below the receiver cups 64. Receiver cups 64 are upended thereover in timed relation thereto and provide for the completion of the transfer of the doughpieces to the griddle MG.

The structure of the feeder MF, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, comprises end threaded tie rods 14 and 16 capped at each end with nut and jambnut combination 18 for laterally tying the spaced feeder frame members 10 and l 1 together. Tray guides 26 and 28 are mounted on the tie rod 14 spaced apart the length of proofer tray 22, as shown in FIG. 3. Horizontal base legs 26' and 28' of the tray guides 26 and 28 are bracketed to the rod 14 in support of the guides 26 and 28 and vertically locate in sliding thereon the first and second tray legs 23 and 23 and the tray 22 in its insertion into the tray 10- cating station 20, as shown in FIG. 5. Vertical side legs 26" and 28" of the tray guides 26 and 28 are mounted on base legs 26 and 28' and laterally locate in sliding thereagainst the first and second tray legs 23 and 23 and the tray 22 in its insertion on the tray locating station 20.

The tray locating station 26, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, comprises a bottom member 32 which has a top surface 33, front and rear edges 33 and 33", and left and right ends 35 and 35', and supports the tray 22 on the top 33 thereof, as shown in the fragmentation of the right hand side of FIG. 4. Top surface 33 of member 32 lies slidingly flush with and adjacent to the top surface of base legs 26' and 28' of the tray guides 26 and 28 for the easy sliding transfer of trays 22 thereon. A tray stop 34 mounted upright on the top surface 33 along the rear edge 33" of the member 32 forwardly positions and stops the leading edge LE of the tray 22 upon its insertion in the locating station 20, as shown in FIG. 4. Clevis side and overhang members 36 and 38 on the left and right ends 35 and 35' of bottom member 32, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, laterally position the tray legs 23 and 23' on the tray 22 and vertically restrain the same on the locating station 20. Ball spring detents 40 and 42 on the vertical overhang of clevises 36 and 38 lock the tray 22 therein by bearing on the top panel 25 thereof, as shown in the fragmented view of the right hand side of FIG. 5.

A tray-upending electrical circuit, as shown schematically in FIGS. ll through 16, timely uprights the tray locating station 20 in readiness for the insertion of the tray 22 therein and timely upends it for the dump of the doughpieces M therefrom to the receiver assembly 62 below.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, switch arm 43, which actuates normally-open pulse switch 44 and energizes the tray upending electrical circuit, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, is slidingly bracketed to tie rod l6 and located adjacent the tray stop 34 at the right end 35 of bottom member 32. Switch arm 43 is depressed by the leading edge LE of the tray 22 when the tray is inserted in the locating station 20 in the upright position. Pulse switch 44 is fixedly mounted to frame member lll. Switch actuating arm 43 is released from contact with the leading edge LE of the tray 22 when upended in the tray locating station 26, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, but the dump cycle is not reinitiated by the uprighted tray 22 contacting switch arm 43, as shown in FIG. 14, reactuating normally-open pulse switch 44 because the circuit is broken by the opening of a normally-closed limit switch 94 by the actuation of a trip rod 95 by the griddle cup 13, as shown in FIG. 10. No current is flowing in any part of the electrical system at that time. Normally-closed limit switch 94 with its trip rod 95 is operationally mounted on griddle frame 12.

Tray upending drive 45 is mounted to side frame member 11, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 8, for pivotally upending the tray 22 and dumping the doughpieces M therefrom into the cups 64 of the receiver assembly 62. A shaft 21 is pivotally mounted in the side frame members 10 and 11. The shaft 21 carries the tray locating station 20. The tray upending drive 45 comprises a pinion gear 46 which is fixedly mounted to an extension of the shaft 21 and a gear rack 48 which is slidingly mounted on the frame member 11 having a line of action in the direction parallel to the movement of the cups 13 on the griddle MG. The rack 43 engages the pinion 46 intermediate its first and second ends 47 and 49 and from above the line of action thereof. A tension spring 50 having one end connected to the end 49 of the rack 48 connects at its other end to the frame member 11 for pulling the rack 48 in the direction of the movement of the griddle cups 13. A solenoid plunger 51 is connected to the other end 47 of the rack 48 for the magnetic pull of said rack 48 in the direction opposed to the movement of the griddle cups 13. An energized solenoid 52 which is mounted to the frame member 11 and slidingly engages said plunger 51 magnetically pulls on said rack 48 against the pull of tension spring 50, and pivotally upends tray locating station 20 and dumps the trays 22 of their muffins M thereon. Locating station 20 upends in a counterclockwise direction of rotation when viewed from the left side LS of feeder MF. Stop pad 56 is fixedly mounted on the frame member 1 l at an angular position 180 in a counterclockwise direction from a horizontal upright starting position of the station 20. Pin 54, which is fixedly mounted on station 20, bottoms against the stop pad 56 and limits the counterclockwise rotation of the tray 22 when the locating station 20 is fully upended.

After the deposit of the doughpieces M from the upended tray 22, de-energization of the solenoid 52 releases the rack 48 which under the opposed pull of tensioned spring 50 rotates the tray upending drive 45 in reverse direction to that above and pivotally uprights the tray 22 and its cups 24 thereon. Stop bar 58 which is mounted on clevis 38 of tray locating station 20 rotatably contacts stop pad 60 which is fixedly mounted on the frame member at an angular position 180 in a clockwise direction of rotation and stops the tray 22 and its locating station in an upright position.

Receiver assembly 62 which is located directly below the tray 22 comprises a plurality of linearly spaced cups 64, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8, for containing the,

doughpieces M in a spaced relation thereon which is compatible with the vertical, lateral and fore-and-aft positions of the cups 13 on the griddle MG at the instant in point of time that the muffin M is transferred from the cups 64 of the receiver assembly 62 to the cups 13 of the griddle MG below. A shaft 66, for upending of the receiver assembly 62 and the dumping of the doughpieces M from the cups 64 therein, is pivotally mounted in and extends through the spaced frame members 10 and 11 above the moving cups 13 on the griddle MG.

Receiver upending drive 61 is mounted to side frame member 11, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 8, for pivotally upending the receiver cups 64 and dumping the doughpieces M therefrom into the cups of the griddle MG. The receiver cups 64 are carried on the receiver assembly 62. Receiver drive 61 is operationally connected to a right hand extension of shaft 66. Receiver drive 61 comprises a pinion gear 68 which is fixedly mounted to the extension of shaft 66 and a gear rack 70 which is operationally mounted to the frame member 11 to slide in the direction parallel to the movement of the cups 13 on the griddle MG. Rack 70 engages the pinion 68 intermediate its first and second ends 72 and 74 from a direction above. A tension spring 76 having one end connected to the end 72 of the rack 70 connects at its other end to said frame member 11 for pulling the rack 70 in the direction of the movement of the griddle cups 13. A solenoid plunger 78 is connected to the other end 74 of rack 70 for the magnetic pull of said rack 70 in the direction opposed to the movement of the griddle cups 13. An energized solenoid 80 which is mounted on the frame member 11 and slidably engages said plunger 78 magnetically pulls on said rack against the pull of tension spring 76, and pivotally rotates the pinion 68 and shaft 66 and uprights the receiver assembly 62 thereon for the dumping of the doughpieces from the cups 64 therein. Receiver assembly 62 uprights in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the left side LS of the feeder MF placing pin 81 against stop pad 82. Pin 81 is mounted on shaft 66. Stop pad 82 is mounted to the frame member 11 at an angular position 180 in a counterclockwise direction from a horizontal upended position of the receiver assembly 62 thus limiting the counterclockwise uprighting of the receiver cups 64 on the receiver assembly 62 to 180 rotation.

De-energizing of the solenoid under the opposed pull of tensioned spring 76 acting on rack 70 operates the receiver uprighting drive 62 in reverse direction and pivotally upends the receiver cups 64 on the receiver assembly 62 for the dump of the doughpieces M therefrom to the griddle cups 13 below. Stop bar 81 which is mounted on shaft 66 contacts stop pad 82 which is mounted on the frame member 10 at an angular position 180 in a clockwise direction of rotation relative to the horizontal when the receiver cups 64 are upright thereby limiting the clockwise upending of the cups 64 on the receiver assembly 62 to 180.

A sheave 83 is mounted to a left hand extension of shaft 66 which is pivotally mounted on the side frame member 10, as shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8. A tensioned spring 84 which has one end connected to and wound around the groove of sheave 82 in a clockwise direction when viewed from the left side LS of the feeder MF, and which has its other end fastened to the side frame 10 by a wingnut and bolt assembly 86, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, permits the adjusting of the tension in spring 84 and thus the speed of the upending of the receiver drive 61 upon de-energization of the solenoid 80.

A receiver cup uprighting electrical circuit, as shown in FIG. 11, timely uprights the receiver cup assembly 62 for the receiving of doughpieces M from the upended tray 22 on tray locating assembly 20 and releases it for upending and dumping of the doughpieces M therefrom to meet the time and space infeed requirements of the moving cups 13 on continuous process griddle below.

Griddle frame 12 mounts a normally-closed limit switch 94 having a trip rod 95 which is located adjacent to and intermittently in contact with the griddle cups 13 on the griddle MG, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10. Trip rod 95 is depressed by contact with the moving griddle cup 13 which de-energizes the receiver cup uprighting electrical circuit and upends the receiver cups 64. The time that the receiver cups 64 remain upended is adjustable, as shown in FIG. 10, by shortening or lengthening the arc and time of contact of the switch arm 95 against the cylindrical side of the griddle cup 13, as indicated in dotted line, allowing a longer or shorter time as the case may be for the release of sticky doughpieces.

At the start of the tray-loading cycle, as shown in FIG. 11, a tray 22 containing proofed doughpieces M is held in a horizontal plane by the operator for insertion in the tray locating station 226 up against a nor mally-open pulse switch 44.

The normally-open pulse switch 44 closes an electrical circuit by the insertion of the leading edge LE of tray 22 therein, as shown in FIG. 12. On depressing the switch arm 43 to close the circuit, a pulse of electrical current surges through the circuit and acts on the instantaneous contact of the timed relay-91 starting the running of delay period. The energizing of a second relay 92 is thus delayed from 12 to 60 seconds, depending on its setting. When the relay 92 times out, normally-open switch 87 which is operationally connected thereto closes and energizes the solenoid 52 to move the rack and pinion drive 46 and 48 to upend the tray 22, as shown in FIG. 13. The muffin M dumps therefrom.

At the time of the closing of the switch 44 by the insertion of the tray 22 against switch arm 43, trip rod 95 of the normally-closed limit switch 94 which is mounted on frame 12 of the griddle MG has not been contacted by a moving griddle cup 13. Switch 94 remains closed. The receiver cup uprighting electrical circuit and the solenoid 80 thus remain energized. Rack and pinion drive 68 and 70 then maintains the receiver cups 64 on the assembly 62 in the upright position. In this position, the receiver cups 64 stand ready to receive the deposit of the doughpieces M from the tray 22 when the same is upended at the termination of the delay period of the timed relay 91, as shown in FIG. 13

When the moving griddle cup 13 makes contact with a trip rod 95, as shown in FIG. 14, limit switch 94 opens and breaks the receiver cup circuit de-energizing solenoid 80 and upending receiver cups 64 for the dump of muffins M into the griddle cup 13 below, as shown in FIG. 15. In this instance, arm 43 of switch 44 stands depressed by the trailing edge TB of upended tray 22 but without effect because the current pulse of switch 44 has terminated by the opening of the normally-closed limit switch 94 in the pulse switch 44 circuit and deenergizing of the relay 92. This allows normally-open switch 87 to open which tie-energizes the solenoid 52 and permits the spring 50 to pull the rack and pinion drive 46 and 48 to upright the tray 22, as shown in FIG. 15. The upright empty tray 22 is then removed from the tray locating station by the operator, as shown in FIG. 16, and another tray of proofed doughpieces is inserted therein ready for a repeat cycle.

When the moving griddle cup 13 breaks contact with the trip rod 95, as shown in FIG. 16, normally-closed limit switch 94 closes and energizes the solenoid 80 uprighting receiver cups 64 ready for the repeat cycle.

Although several specific embodiments of this invention have been herein shown and described, it will be understood that the details of construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An electric-powered, semi-automatic doughpiece loading mechanism for mounting on continuous process muffin griddles above a flight of moving griddle cups having a particular array thereon and using interchangeable trays with top panels provided with a like array of doughpiece cups therein comprising:

a. a frame having spaced frame members fixedly mounted on the continuous process griddle in transverse relation to the moving griddle flight thereunder;

b. a tray guide fixedly mounted between the spaced frame members in transverse relation thereto for guiding the insertion of a tray therein;

c. a tray locating station pivotally mounted between the spaced frame members in transverse relation thereto and in horizontal sliding relation thereon with the said tray guide for locating a tray with relation to the loading mechanism;

. a top electric-powered, tray locating station rotary actuator mounted on the frame members for upending the tray locating station and a tray thereon for dumping doughpieces therefrom;

e. a receiver assembly having an array of cups thereon like that of the said tray pivotally mounted between the spaced frame members in transverse relation thereto and in vertical relation with said tray locating station for receiving doughpieces dumped from said tray;

f. a bottom electric-powered, receiver assembly rotary actuator mounted on the frame members for upending the receiver assembly and the said cups thereon and dumping doughpieces therefrom; and

g. a coordinating electrical switch means for coordinating, in time and space, the upending of the tray locating station and the upending of the receiver assembly with the flight of moving griddle cups below.

2. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim i,

wherein said tray guide comprises:

a. a guide frame fixedly mounted to the loader frame members;

b. right and left vertical side legs mounted to the guide frame for laterally guiding the insertion of the right and left ends of a tray therebetween; and

c. right and left horizontal base legs mounted to the guide frame for horizontally guiding the insertion of the right and left ends of a tray thereon.

3. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said tray locating station comprises:

a. a top shaft pivotally mounted in the loader frame;

b. a bottom plate member mounted on said shaft hav ing a top side, front and rear edges, and right and left ends and located in transverse relation to the griddle machine for vertically locating the tray thereon;

c. a right hand clevis member mounted on the top shaft adjacent to the right end of said plate having a ball spring detent therein for laterally locating and locking in the right end of a tray;

(1. a left hand clevis member mounted on the top shaft adjacent to the left end of said plate having a ball spring detent therein for laterally locating and locking in the left end of a tray; and

e. a tray stop member mounted on the top side along the front edge of the bottom plate member for loeating the insertion of the leading edge of a tray.

4. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim I,

wherein said top electric-powered rotary actuator comprises:

a. a tray locating station upending solenoid mounted on said frame having a magnetic plunger;

b. a tray locating station upending rack slidably mounted on said frame and operationally connected at one end thereof to the magnetic plunger;

c. a tray locating station uprighting tension spring operationally connected at one end to the other end of the rack and the other end to the said frame; and v d. a tray locating station upending pinion fixedly mounted to the top shaft and engaging the rack from above.

5. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said receiver assembly comprises:

a. a bottom shaft pivotally mounted in the said frame;

and

b. spaced cups mounted in linear co-planar relation on the bottom shaft.

6. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bottom electric-powered rotary actuator comprises:

a. a receiver assembly upending solenoid mounted on said feeder frame having a magnetic plunger;

b. a receiver assembly upending rack slidably mounted on said frame and operationally connected at one end thereof to the magnetic plunger;

c. a receiver assembly upending tension spring operationally connected at one end to the other end of the rack and at the other end to the said frame; and

d. a receiver assembly upending pinion fixedly mounted to the bottom shaft and engaging the rack from above.

7. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coordinating electrical switch means comprises:

a. a normally-closed limit switch for contacting the cups on the moving griddle having one terminal electrically connected to a first terminal of the receiver assembly upending solenoid and the other terminal connected to the electric power supply;

b. a normally-open pulse switch for sensing the insertion of a tray in the tray locating station having one terminal electrically connected to the one terminal of the normally-closed limit switch and the other terminal electrically connected to a common ter minal on the tray loading station upending and the receiver assembly upending solenoids through an instantaneous contact and coil of a timed relay for delaying energization thereof; and

c. a normally-open switch operationally connected to the delayed timer relay having one terminal electrically connected to a first terminal of the tray locating station upending solenoid and the other terminal connected to the electric power supply for upending the tray locating station for dumping the doughpieces from a tray.

8. An electric-powered, semi-automatic doughpiece loading mechanism for continuous process griddles mounted above the geometric array of muffin cups moving with the griddle flight thereon, for use with interchangeable rectangular, channel-like trays each having front and rear side legs, right and left ends, and a top panel provided with an array of doughpiece cups therein comprising like the said muffin cups:

a. spaced loader frame members fixedly mounted on the griddle in transverse relation to the moving griddle flight;

b. a tray guide fixedly mounted to the frame members in transverse relation thereto for guiding the insertion of a tray therein;

c. a tray locating station pivotally mounted on the frame members in transverse relation thereto and in horizontal sliding relationship with the tray guide thereon for locating a tray with relation to the loader;

d. a top electric-powered, tray locating station upending, linear input/rotary output actuator having an uprighting tension spring return mounted on the loader frame for upending of a tray locating station and a tray placed thereon and dumping doughpieces therefrom;

. a receiver assembly having an array of cups thereon like that of the said tray pivotally mounted on the loader frame members in transverse relation thereto and below the said tray locating station for receiving doughpieces dumped from said tray;

f. a bottom electric-powered, receiver assembly upending, linear input/rotary output actuator having an uprighting tension spring return mounted on the loader frame for upending of the receiver assembly and the receiver cups thereon for dumping doughpieces therefrom; and

g. a coordinating electric switch means for coordinating, in time and space, the upending of the tray locating station and the upending of the receiver assembly with the moving griddle cups below. 

1. An electric-powered, semi-automatic doughpiece lOading mechanism for mounting on continuous process muffin griddles above a flight of moving griddle cups having a particular array thereon and using interchangeable trays with top panels provided with a like array of doughpiece cups therein comprising: a. a frame having spaced frame members fixedly mounted on the continuous process griddle in transverse relation to the moving griddle flight thereunder; b. a tray guide fixedly mounted between the spaced frame members in transverse relation thereto for guiding the insertion of a tray therein; c. a tray locating station pivotally mounted between the spaced frame members in transverse relation thereto and in horizontal sliding relation thereon with the said tray guide for locating a tray with relation to the loading mechanism; d. a top electric-powered, tray locating station rotary actuator mounted on the frame members for upending the tray locating station and a tray thereon for dumping doughpieces therefrom; e. a receiver assembly having an array of cups thereon like that of the said tray pivotally mounted between the spaced frame members in transverse relation thereto and in vertical relation with said tray locating station for receiving doughpieces dumped from said tray; f. a bottom electric-powered, receiver assembly rotary actuator mounted on the frame members for upending the receiver assembly and the said cups thereon and dumping doughpieces therefrom; and g. a coordinating electrical switch means for coordinating, in time and space, the upending of the tray locating station and the upending of the receiver assembly with the flight of moving griddle cups below.
 2. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tray guide comprises: a. a guide frame fixedly mounted to the loader frame members; b. right and left vertical side legs mounted to the guide frame for laterally guiding the insertion of the right and left ends of a tray therebetween; and c. right and left horizontal base legs mounted to the guide frame for horizontally guiding the insertion of the right and left ends of a tray thereon.
 3. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tray locating station comprises: a. a top shaft pivotally mounted in the loader frame; b. a bottom plate member mounted on said shaft having a top side, front and rear edges, and right and left ends and located in transverse relation to the griddle machine for vertically locating the tray thereon; c. a right hand clevis member mounted on the top shaft adjacent to the right end of said plate having a ball spring detent therein for laterally locating and locking in the right end of a tray; d. a left hand clevis member mounted on the top shaft adjacent to the left end of said plate having a ball spring detent therein for laterally locating and locking in the left end of a tray; and e. a tray stop member mounted on the top side along the front edge of the bottom plate member for locating the insertion of the leading edge of a tray.
 4. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said top electric-powered rotary actuator comprises: a. a tray locating station upending solenoid mounted on said frame having a magnetic plunger; b. a tray locating station upending rack slidably mounted on said frame and operationally connected at one end thereof to the magnetic plunger; c. a tray locating station uprighting tension spring operationally connected at one end to the other end of the rack and the other end to the said frame; and d. a tray locating station upending pinion fixedly mounted to the top shaft and engaging the rack from above.
 5. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said receiver assembly comprises: a. a bottom shaft pivotally mounted in the said frame; and b. spaced cups mounted in linear co-planar relation on the bottom shaft.
 6. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bottom electric-powered rotary actuator comprises: a. a receiver assembly upending solenoid mounted on said feeder frame having a magnetic plunger; b. a receiver assembly upending rack slidably mounted on said frame and operationally connected at one end thereof to the magnetic plunger; c. a receiver assembly upending tension spring operationally connected at one end to the other end of the rack and at the other end to the said frame; and d. a receiver assembly upending pinion fixedly mounted to the bottom shaft and engaging the rack from above.
 7. A doughpiece loader, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said coordinating electrical switch means comprises: a. a normally-closed limit switch for contacting the cups on the moving griddle having one terminal electrically connected to a first terminal of the receiver assembly upending solenoid and the other terminal connected to the electric power supply; b. a normally-open pulse switch for sensing the insertion of a tray in the tray locating station having one terminal electrically connected to the one terminal of the normally-closed limit switch and the other terminal electrically connected to a common terminal on the tray loading station upending and the receiver assembly upending solenoids through an instantaneous contact and coil of a timed relay for delaying energization thereof; and c. a normally-open switch operationally connected to the delayed timer relay having one terminal electrically connected to a first terminal of the tray locating station upending solenoid and the other terminal connected to the electric power supply for upending the tray locating station for dumping the doughpieces from a tray.
 8. An electric-powered, semi-automatic doughpiece loading mechanism for continuous process griddles mounted above the geometric array of muffin cups moving with the griddle flight thereon, for use with interchangeable rectangular, channel-like trays each having front and rear side legs, right and left ends, and a top panel provided with an array of doughpiece cups therein comprising like the said muffin cups: a. spaced loader frame members fixedly mounted on the griddle in transverse relation to the moving griddle flight; b. a tray guide fixedly mounted to the frame members in transverse relation thereto for guiding the insertion of a tray therein; c. a tray locating station pivotally mounted on the frame members in transverse relation thereto and in horizontal sliding relationship with the tray guide thereon for locating a tray with relation to the loader; d. a top electric-powered, tray locating station upending, linear input/rotary output actuator having an uprighting tension spring return mounted on the loader frame for upending of a tray locating station and a tray placed thereon and dumping doughpieces therefrom; e. a receiver assembly having an array of cups thereon like that of the said tray pivotally mounted on the loader frame members in transverse relation thereto and below the said tray locating station for receiving doughpieces dumped from said tray; f. a bottom electric-powered, receiver assembly upending, linear input/rotary output actuator having an uprighting tension spring return mounted on the loader frame for upending of the receiver assembly and the receiver cups thereon for dumping doughpieces therefrom; and g. a coordinating electric switch means for coordinating, in time and space, the upending of the tray locating station and the upending of the receiver assembly with the moving griddle cups below. 